Dear Members of the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Community,
I write to inform you of an upcoming transition in the university’s leadership team. Nick Gattozzi, executive director of government and community relations, will leave Kent State on Oct. 19 to join a Cleveland-based global manufacturer, where he will oversee the company’s multistate government strategy.
As the university’s chief government relations officer since 2015, Nick has been a highly effective advocate with regional, state and federal legislators and elected officials. He led our efforts to secure operating and capital bill appropriations, secured state support for podiatric medicine and led a statewide effort to obtain demolition funds to reduce operating costs on public university campuses. He also responded to a spate of state and federal bills and executive orders affecting higher education.
To ensure an effective transition in this important role, I will appoint Brady Oxender, state relations director, as interim executive director effective Oct. 20. He will serve in this capacity while a national search for the position is conducted, providing needed continuity and deep knowledge of Kent State, our state and federal delegations, and key issues. Brady has nearly 20 years of experience at the Ohio Statehouse. He worked as a legislative aide in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate and was director of policy and legislation for the Ohio Department of Higher Education before joining Kent State in 2013.
Please join me in thanking Nick for his impactful service to Kent State, and please welcome Brady to his new role.
Sincerely,
Todd Diacon
President